


Wanderer (The Architect of Your Dream)

by ArinaKuga



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - SCP Foundation, Dream Dimension, F/F, Science Fiction, with a hint of fantasy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27301771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArinaKuga/pseuds/ArinaKuga
Summary: SCP-528must never be awaken and any attempt to wake SCP-528 will result in an arrest by Foundation security and possible termination.OrMina woke up in a dream that was not hers
Relationships: Kim Dahyun/Myoui Mina
Comments: 8
Kudos: 96
Collections: You Are My Dream





	Wanderer (The Architect of Your Dream)

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt chosen for this fic is the Dream prompt. It's a self-indulgence kind of fic, cause I am very into SCP stuff these couple of weeks. Hope you guys enjoy it, it's kind of different than what I'm used to writing, but y'know first time for everything. Very unbeta'd, so sorry about that. The SCP-528 here is not affiliated with the SCP-528 on the original site.
> 
> Written for the #YouAreMyDream fic fest hosted by TFG  
> [Moodboard](https://twitter.com/anothingqueer/status/1322716408069812224?s=20)

She woke up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore and seagulls circling the air but when she opened her eyes the sky was empty. Not a cloud or sun in sight. She sat up facing the vast ocean, the horizon hidden behind dense fogs. She knew there was nothing behind there, her mind could only work so much to create this dream of hers.

She looked to her left and right, the beach stretched far as the eyes can see and it was because the beach looped itself to where she was sitting. She found that out when she tried walking along it and came back to where she was, her footprint still fresh in the sands.

She got up and stretched, breathing in the scent of nothing, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t even smell the saltiness of the sea. She turned around and as expected, the house that she frequented when she was younger was there, although this time it was more run down than her previous time here. Maybe it was because she was slowly forgetting how it looked like.

She walked to the house, shadows of her parents lurking through the windows but as time passed by it didn’t look like them anymore. She reached the front door and opened it slowly, the light from behind her spilled into the dark house, revealing the decrepit inside. She walked in, regarding her young self for a split second that sat on the stairs, watching her through the gaps, eyes following her every move.

The door closed and it was dark again, but she was used to it. She meandered deeper into the house, reaching the kitchen. Her mother’s back was to her at the kitchen sink, washing the never-ending plates, never acknowledging her. Something that she was used to. Her father sat at the kitchen table, face covered by the newspaper that he always read, never putting it down no matter how long she stood there. Her attention was caught by the sound of the basement door opening. Following the usual motion, she went to it.

The stairs going down the basement was always dark and malicious. When she was young, she feared the basement, imagining all sorts of monsters lurking and waiting to grab her. But now, older, and wise she came to learn that monsters _were_ real, and it does exist among us, but her job gave her the security that these monsters were containable. However, as she fell more into it, being given access to new horrors and terrors, she wished she never knew their existence.

Walking down the stairs, she turned on the light, giving her a sense of comfort, only for a bit. She scanned the room, sparse and empty; she couldn’t remember what it looked like, so this was her mind’s way of creating it. Her eyes landed on the lone door at the end of the room, barred with chains and locks, a clear sign for people not to enter. She ambled to it, reaching into her pocket for the keys, but always coming out empty. She reached for the knob, wanting to see if she could turn it for once.

A hand grabbed her to stop.

Mina woke up with a gasp, clutching her chest as she tried breathing in the air she lost. Despite knowing how the dream would end she always woke up breathless, as if she hadn’t been breathing the whole time she was sleeping.

She reached out to turn off her alarm as her senses started coming back to her slowly. It was always the same dream whenever she was in deep sleep and in the back of her head she knew it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon unless she opened the door to whatever the hell it was on the other side.

She rubbed her tired eyes, groaning when she checked the time on her phone. It was 3 pm and she was supposed to have another hour of sleep before work, but she forgot to adjust her alarm. She groaned but got up anyway to do her usual routine. She worked out, made lunch which consisted of leftover pasta from yesterday, and showered to wash away the sweat and grimes off her. After she was done, she headed out toward site-7 to start her usual night shift.

She went to several checkpoints to get in. First, the guard toll to present her ID, then to the metal detector to check for contraband, and then the blood test to see if she was really her or something else posing as her. The last checkpoint was newly implemented because there were cases on other sites where an anomalous broke in disguised as one of the site directors. She didn’t know what happened after that and she would like to keep it that way.

When she reached the cafeteria, she couldn’t help but smile when she saw her colleague Nayeon waiting for her at their usual spot. Nayeon handled the morning shift, but every day she would wait for her and chat with her before the start of her shift. She didn’t mind it, because it gave her a semblance of normalcy in this work of hers.

“Did you get enough sleep? You’re using the new sleeping medication, right?”

Mina sat down across from her. “I don’t know what counts as enough sleep, but I did sleep deeply.” She stole a fry from Nayeon’s tray. “Guessing that means the medication does work, albeit a little _too_ well.”

Nayeon looked at her sympathetically. “It’s that dream again huh?”

Mina nodded. “It’s been years, but it just won’t go away.”

“Maybe you need to see someone to talk about it.”

Mina stopped chewing, quirking her eyebrow at Nayeon. “Like a psychiatrist?”

Nayeon shrugged, not wanting to elaborate because Mina tended to shut down when it came to talking about this. “Maybe. But that was just a suggestion. There’s a lot of capable psychiatrists in the Foundation that you can meet.”

“They’re experts on handling trauma, Nayeon. My insomnia problem is small compared to, let’s say, watching someone being violently castrated to appease a God or something.”

“Jesus,” Nayeon muttered, losing her appetite as she pushed her tray away.

“Exactly.” She ate the remaining fries.

Nayeon frowned. “I just want to help,” she mumbled.

Mina sighed, feeling guilty for being harsh. She hated talking about her problems and would prefer keeping it to herself, so she won’t burden the people around her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so morbid like that.” She reached out and put her hand on Nayeon’s.

Nayeon shook her head. “It’s okay. I should’ve backed off in the first place. I know how much you don’t like talking about this.”

They smiled at each other, no feelings harm. After that, they continued chatting until Mina really had to go. They exchange goodbyes and went on their way.

\---

Mina opened the door to her station and felt a little bit calmer than before. She had spent most of her career in this tiny office to the point that she could fondly call it her second home. Locking the door, she went to her desk, greeting the comatose girl sleeping on the other side of the window.

“Good evening 528,” she said softly. She had been assigned to 528 from the moment she was transferred here. She was chosen because of her expertise when it came to reading and analyzing brain wave activities of a sleeping person (and also because of her insomnia because somebody needed to keep an eye on 528 during the night).

She opened the report that was on her desk, reading through to check if there was any addendum added during Nayeon’s shift.

 **Item #:** SCP–528

 **Object Class:** Euclid

 **Special Containment Procedures:** SCP–528 is to be kept in a standard humanoid containment cell with an observatory built adjacent to it at site-7. Hydration will be provided through IV drip and feeding will be provided through a feeding tube twice a day by medical personnel.

SCP-528 must be kept under heavy anesthesia by administrating a dose of pentobarbital/thiopental regimen three (3) times a month following incident 528-01 by level-2 medical personnel approved by site director Dr. Park. Researchers assigned to SCP-528 must report any abnormalities in the subject’s brain activity and if found, the subject must be administrated another dose of pentobarbital/thiopental regimen despite the period from the prior administration.

SCP-528 must never be awaken and any attempt to wake SCP-528 will result in an arrest by Foundation security and possibly termination.

 **Description:** SCP–528 is a female human of Asian descent. She has black hair and monolid eyes as well as a pale complexion due to her state of being. She is 158cm in height at the time of acquisition and appears to be a normal human being. No ID was found on her and no missing report cases have her description. SCP-528 has been in a coma for the last three (3) years in foundation care since discovery.

SCP-528 was brought to attention when Foundation intercepted local authorities radio signal reporting about buildings manifesting near the location of the subject.

Mobile Task Force Lambda-5 (“White Rabbits”) was dispatched to investigate the disturbance and found structures resembling [REDACTED] surrounding the area. During further exploration subject was found in a house in the middle of the towering structures. The subject was sleeping during discovery and sleeping medication (Benzodiazepines) was found on the bedside table. The subject was retrieved with no complications and within 5 kilometers away from the location the structures dematerialize.

However, after 24 hours the structures materialized inside site █ resulting in a massive containment breach known to date where █ Foundation personnel were injured, and █ SCPs escaped containment. MTF Lambda-5 was brought in to locate the subject and administration of a stronger sleeping drug worked to dematerialize the structures within one hour.

 **Addendum 528-01:** Incident Log 528-01

After further testing, on ██/█/██ approval was given to administer a dose of pentobarbital/thiopental regimen three (3) times every 30-days to ensure SCP-528 being kept under comatose to prevent incident 528-01 from happening again.

 **Addendum 528-02:** Request to permanently housed SCP-528 in site-7 was approved by O5 as site-7 has no remarkable SCPs that could pose a potential threat if breached.

Nothing new was added so she closed the report and stretched, readying herself for a long night of nothing. She started by doing paperwork that she had accumulated during the week, not wanting to finish it early so that she’ll have something to do. That occupied her time for a couple of hours, and she was satisfied by it. Then she walked around the room for a couple of rounds, stretching her legs until she had to sit down again. That was her routine most of the time, waiting for morning to come and her shift to end.

When the quarter of the night ended, she was scrolling through her phone, not having anything else to do. She already went to the cafeteria to get a snack from the vending machine, chatting with a couple of night shift guards and asking them if anything unusual happened. As usual, they kept their mouth shut, a standard thing every personnel does.

By 3 am, she was beginning to feel sleepy. She was puzzled by this because usually, she wasn’t sleepy no matter how well into the night she was. She guessed the medication she took was more potent than she had thought, and she might need to change it again for her own sanity. She yawned a couple of times, getting irritated by the second because she couldn’t sleep on the job.

She got up from her seat, thinking maybe it was that time of the night for her. Keying in the code to 528’s room, she went in with a book in hand. Sitting on the lone chair next to the bed, she began her routine that always helped her stay awake, reading a book out loud for herself and for 528.

“So, I hope you don’t mind me reading the Hobbits today.” She imagined the girl agreeing enthusiastically and she chuckled to herself. “Brace yourself, we’re going on an adventure.” She started reading in earnest, narrating the story by changing tones and voices to suit a scene or character.

She didn’t know how long she had been reading, but her eyes were getting droopy. She didn’t even realize she was babbling the words and the next thing she knew; her eyes closed.

\---

She woke up to the sound of river streaming and birds chirping in the sky. Instead of sands underneath her fingers, she was pulling on grass. It felt so real that she snapped her eyes open in panic. Sitting up immediately, she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. She was on a grassy hill, overlooking what looked to be a small village next to a river.

She knew it was a dream, but at the same time, it felt too real to be a dream. She got up from her spot and head down toward the village. When she reached it, she was confused at how small it was, almost… hobbit-sized. She pinched the bridge of her nose; she must’ve had slept while reading the book. A thought passed her, now that she’s aware, why hadn’t she woken up yet?

“Welcome.”

Mina jumped away from the voice, reaching for anything she could find on the ground and aimed it at the unknown person. It was a girl and she looked awfully familiar as if she had met this girl before.

The girl laughed at her, putting her hands up in surrender. “Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” She waved her hand and the shovel in Mina’s hand turned into a bouquet of flowers. “Let’s change that so you won’t accidentally hurt yourself.”

Mina let go of the bouquet heart beating in her chest from fear. Clearly, this was not an ordinary dream and the girl was not human. “Who are you,” She asked warily.

“Kim Dahyun and you?”

It was then that Mina realized why the girl looked familiar to her. She looked different here than the person that she saw every day hooked and wired to the bed. She relaxed but was still alert of her surroundings. “I’m,” she paused, would it be wise to tell the girl her name? “Mina,” she mumbled.

Dahyun tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know why, but I think I know you or at least recognize your voice.”

Mina was frozen in place. She didn’t know how much of herself she could reveal to the girl. There was no procedure she could follow if they were to establish contact with her. For all she knew Dahyun could steal her name and at the same time steal her body in the process. Before she could say anything, the girl gasped.

“You’re the person that has been reading me stories!”

“You’re aware?”

Dahyun nodded. “Yeah, I’m aware that I’m in a coma right now,” she chuckled. “So, you must be a doctor that’s taking care of me, right?”

“I-yeah, a doctor,” Mina fumbled with her words.

Dahyun sighed in relief. “Well at least the first person I interact with isn’t a total stranger. You know, I didn’t think the hospital would take care of me for the past three years, to be honest.” She tilted her head, staring right through her. “I don’t exactly have any family left.”

It was because it’s not the hospital taking care of her, was what Mina wanted to say, but she would need permission to even say anything regarding the Foundation. “We have our reasons.”

“Of course, it’s not that I’m ungrateful. I’m just puzzled by it I guess.”

“Do you remember—” Mina stopped, suddenly aware that her hand was disintegrating. Was she dying?

“Oh! You’re waking up.”

“I’m what?” Mina fell to her knees, now aware that her legs were disintegrating too.

Dahyun kneeled in front of her, a reassuring smile on her face. “You’re about to wake up Mina, it’s okay. It’s nice to finally meet you even though we didn’t really talk much.” She clasped her shoulder, squeezing it gently. “I look forward to the ending of the story. I want to try creating a dragon.”

Mina woke up with a jolt, the book that was on her lap fell to the floor with a resounding thud. She looked around and realized she was in the room, not at the grassy hill anymore. She looked at Dahyun and could confirm that she did meet her in the dream. She got up, exited the room, and sat on her desk, trying to make sense of what happened.

Dahyun seemed nice and she could feel that there was no ill intent behind her actions. But she still needed to be cautious, because no one really knew what she was capable of other than what’s on the report. She checked her watch, surprised that it was 5 am. How long was she in there?

She grabbed the report and head out, marching toward the site director’s office.

\---

Dr. Park Jihyo was older by a couple of months than her, but she was chosen by the higher-ups based on her leadership skills and cunning mind as well as her no-nonsense attitude. She got the position of site director only after two years of working as a researcher here. She was, for lack of better words, intimidating.

“Researcher Myoui, come on in,” Dr. Park greeted her, closing the file that she was reading.

“We can skip the formalities. It’s not working time yet.”

Jihyo chuckled, taking off her glasses. “For me, sure. But for you, you’re still on the clock.” She gestured for her to sit. “Is there a problem with 528?” She asked calmly.

“I’m not sure if it’s considered as a problem—”

“Right to it,” Jihyo cut her off.

“I have established contact with 528.”

Jihyo frowned, shoulder tensing. “Is she awake?”

Mina shook her head. “No, I talked to her,” she paused, trying to find the right word for it, but she couldn’t, “through a dream.”

Jihyo leaned back in her seat, her frown deepened. “Not the craziest thing I’ve heard. Were you awake at the time?”

“I fell asleep whilst sitting next to her.”

“ _You_ fell asleep?” Jihyo perked up in surprise.

“I have a new sleeping medication. It’s pretty strong.”

Jihyo hummed in understanding. She opened her drawer and took out a notebook. “Tell me everything from start until now.”

Mina recap back on what had happened. From reading the book to waking up at a hobbit village and how Dahyun was aware that she was in a coma. Jihyo kept on listening, jotting it all down, and clearly forming a plan on how to proceed with the situation. When Mina finished, Jihyo had an unreadable look on her face.

“What do you feel about this Mina?”

Mina was startled by the question. “I think Dahyun is harmless,” Mina spoke out.

“Dahyun?”

“I-uh, she told me that’s her name.”

“And just because she told you her name, you think she’s harmless.”

Mina shrugged. “She seemed kind and she didn’t exactly kill me on the spot.”

“That’s what they love for you to think at first,” Jihyo murmured, tapping her pen against the table. “You have to remember no matter how ‘innocent’ they look, they’re still capable of harming us and humanity. The report didn’t lie, she almost brought down a whole site without even being awake,” she said coldly.

“But shouldn’t we give her the benefit of the doubt? Even with how dangerous she is,” Mina questioned, feeling a little heated by how emotionless Jihyo was being.

“I didn’t say that we shouldn’t. As researchers, we can’t be biased, and we need to look at it logically even if what they do defies logic.” Jihyo stood up, signaling for Mina to follow. “This is just a reminder because there’s a reason why 528’s object class is Euclid,” she said pointedly.

Mina furrowed her eyebrows, taking her words to heart. She had a point, but it didn’t mean she was happy with it. “I understand.”

\---

A meeting was conducted to discuss the next step of the procedure. Mina had told them her experience meeting with Dahyun and they concluded that further testing needed to be done to determine whether she was as harmless as Mina had vouched her. And if it were proven true, Dahyun could even be molded as an asset if she were useful to them. Mina didn’t like that part of the meeting, logical as it seemed, it felt inhuman to her.

It was decided that Mina would be the one to interview Dahyun since she was the first to establish contact. Her job was to find out who Dahyun is and what happened to her because background research of her name came up blank in the database. She accepted it, recalling how relieved the girl was when it wasn’t a stranger visiting her dream. They refurbished the room by adding another bed next to Dahyun, not sure if the distance would affect the connection between them. After a week of planning, they were ready to start.

Mina was nervous, to say the least, lying awkwardly on the bed while other researchers observed them from the other side of the window. With how unpredictable the situation could be, she _would_ be surprised if she came out of this unscathed. She tried to relax by focusing on her breathing, feeling the way her chest moved.

Nayeon came into the room with a concoction of anesthetic, ready to be injected into her since she had a hard time sleeping on her own. Pills would be too slow, so Nayeon created an anesthetic that would knock her out like a light. She closed her eyes, ready for the injection.

“Hey, be careful in there,” Nayeon whispered, applying a numbing gel to her arm.

“I’ll try to be,” Mina murmured, wincing when the needle pricked her.

“Big baby,” Nayeon mumbled under her breath.

Mina chuckled softly. “Shut up.” She was starting to feel tired, body sinking into the bed. The sound of Nayeon exiting the room felt distant to her and in a matter of minutes, she fell asleep.

\---

Mina opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of trees obscuring the blue sky. Sitting up slowly, she looked around to assess where she was. It wasn’t the grassy hill from the first time she was here, instead, she was surrounded by trees tall enough that it could easily pierce the sky.

She pushed herself up, brushing off dirt from her dress? Well, at least she wasn’t naked. Observing the sky, she decided to head west, following it descend. Hopefully, she would be able to get out of the forest before it got dark. But Mina was never that lucky.

She got lost in the forest. Every tree she passed looked the same and with how thick and dense it was, she wasn’t sure if the sun had set or not. It felt like she was traveling for hours, but it might be because time here flowed differently than in real life. She was beginning to feel anxious, fear creeping up her back, and settled in the pit of her stomach. Not to mention that she could feel as if someone was watching her every move. She needed to get out of here, but how?

She remembered her own dream, where the beach was an endless loop. She reckoned it was the same here too, so she turned around and walked back to where she came from. In a matter of minutes, she reached the clearing again. She huffed, feeling frustrated by the lack of progress. She sat back down in the middle, trying to think up the next course of action.

“You’re back again.”

Mina jolted in surprise, scrambling to her feet to distance herself from the girl. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “I… fell asleep again.” She was ordered not to disclose information about herself or the Foundation until she was sure that Dahyun was not a threat.

Dahyun hummed, curiosity etched on her face. “I’m guessing it’s nighttime over there.” She crossed her arms, pout on her face. “You didn’t finish the story.”

Mina opened and closed her mouth, speechless. “I’m sorry?”

Dahyun laughed, shaking her head. “That’s okay, I’m just joking.” She came closer and observed her. “Seems like you’re not waking up anytime soon. Do you maybe want to hang out with me?”

“I can’t really go anywhere when the forest is looped like that.”

A look of surprise flashed through Dahyun’s face, but she quickly masked it with an apologetic smile. “Very sorry about that. I don’t know what else to imagine beyond the forest.” She turned and head toward the opposite way where Mina had gone. “Come on.”

Mina shuffled along behind Dahyun, still wary but she couldn’t go anywhere else and she needed to talk to the girl anyway. They trudged through the forest for a solid ten minutes until they stumbled upon a wooden cabin. It looked small and cozy, with fairy lights hanging on the porch, illuminating the area with an amber hue.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Dahyun said with a flourish, bowing playfully toward her house.

“It was the hobbit’s village the other day.”

Dahyun opened the door, inviting her inside. “Well it was getting boring since I don’t know the ending _yet_ ,” she said pointedly. “I’m thinking of a forest kind of aesthetic, hence this cute little cabin.” She gestured for Mina to sit on the couch near the fireplace.

Mina sat down, scanning around for any signs of irregularity. Everything seemed to check out and the cabin was… a cabin. It all seemed so real and she was pulled out of her thoughts by Dahyun setting a mug down on the coffee table in front of her. She examined it skeptically.

“It’s milk tea, a perfect drink for a night like this.”

“Night?” Mina looked out the window and realized that it was indeed dark outside.

“Goes with the mood,” Dahyun explained, sitting on the couch at the other side.

Mina took the mug on the table, inspecting the liquid inside. It felt warm in her hand and it did smell like milk tea when she took a whiff of it. She took a second to think about whether to drink it or not. Jihyo did say to try everything she can to get information about the girl and the world itself.

Dahyun noticed her hesitancy. “If you don’t want to it’s okay. I understand if you don’t trust me. We are in a very… _strange_ land.”

Mina made her decision, in the name of science, she guessed. She gingerly took a sip of it, surprised by the taste. It tasted the same as normal milk tea. She was puzzled by the discovery and when she really gave it a thought, she could feel the warmth of the fireplace on her skin. Wasn’t this a dream? “It’s good,” she murmured.

“I’m glad.” Dahyun smiled, sipping on her own drink.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where exactly are we?”

“Neverland.”

Mina tilted her head. “Isn’t that the name of Peter Pan’s island?”

Dahyun chuckled. “Yes, it is. The name resonates with me, in a way and I love the story. It’s basically what this place is too.”

“Do you remember what happened before you were trapped in here?”

Dahyun shifted in her seat, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t like thinking that I’m trapped in here. It’s more of a willingness to stay. And I’m deeply sorry but I don’t like remembering what had happened before I was in here.”

“My apologies, I don’t mean to pry like that.”

Dahyun waved her hand. “It’s to be expected, don’t worry. Maybe one day I’ll be able to tell you without choking up about it. Who knows?” She shrugged.

Mina sipped on her drink, of course, Dahyun wouldn’t tell her everything out of the gate on the first meeting. She could see that the girl is the kind to value her privacy. She needed to play this well without risking severing the bond before it was even formed.

“Can I ask you something, Mina?”

“Sure.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

Mina took a second to answer, slightly surprised by the question. “Mint green.”

“I like white. It’s such an underrated color because without it there are no other colors, you know?”

Mina sensed that this was Dahyun’s way of trying to tell her things. She went along with it. “I understand that. It’s like a blank canvas that you could put anything in.”

“Exactly. Just like how this world is,” she materialized a round mint green rock crystal in her hand, “a blank canvas.” She handed the crystal to Mina. “That’s the only way I could describe how this world works.”

Mina took it, feeling the weight of it in her hand. “So, that means you can create anything and everything.”

Dahyun shook her head. “Only what I can imagine, and imagination is a pretty powerful tool that you have.”

Mina nodded in understanding, reaching for her mug on the table. She then realized that her hand was disintegrating, just like what happened before. “Oh.”

Dahyun chuckled. “I guess it’s time for you to wake up then.” She stood up, picking up Mina’s mug and bringing it to the kitchen. “I look forward to your next visit.”

“Me too.” Mina could feel a pulling sensation in the pit of her stomach.

“Oh, and Mina, thank you.”

Before Mina could say anything, she woke up staring at the white ceiling of the room. She sat up, feeling groggy and dizzy. She always felt like this when she slept too long. So, how long had she been asleep? Jihyo’s voice over the intercom surprised her.

“Myoui, are you okay?”

Mina gave a thumbs up. She got off the bed, legs jelly when she tried standing. The door to the room opened and Nayeon came in to help escort her.

“How long had I been asleep?” Mina asked.

Jihyo checked the monitor. “Almost 8 hours.”

“8 hours?” She was surprised. “It felt longer in there.”

Jihyo jot down the piece of information on one of the report books. “So, you met 528?”

“I did. We talked but she didn’t disclose about her past. It was probably a bad experience for her.”

“Does she know who you are and what we are?”

“She didn’t ask anything of me. Maybe in the next visit, she’ll ask, or she’s accepted that I’m a doctor that’s taking care of her.”

Jihyo nodded. “You have the day off. I imagined you don’t want to sleep any time soon.”

“No, I don’t. Thank you, Dr. Park.”

“Make a report of what you’ve discovered and tomorrow we’ll have a meeting based on that.”

“Of course, Dr. Park.”

When everyone left, she slumped in her chair and sighed, dreading about the amount of paperwork needed to be done. She looked at the sleeping girl beyond the glass, curiosity bubbling in her chest. She had a genuine interest in getting to know about Dahyun and not just because of work. She took a glance at the book on her desk, remembering what the girl had asked her to do. She took it and head back inside the room, sitting on the lone chair next to her. She started reading.

\---

The visit continued, as usual, twice a week and on different days so that it won’t take a toll on her. With every meeting, she learned about Dahyun little by little. The girl was a hard shell to crack, often speaking in riddles whenever she was asked something. She was fine with it, liking the riddles and mysteries, following along because it made the conversation all that more fulfilling.

By the fifth visit she had permission from Jihyo to tell Dahyun about what they are, believing that the information might help soften the girl’s resolve. Jihyo refused at first, stating that it might backfire, but her persistence managed to chip away her perseverance.

She woke up whilst in the middle of falling. Turning around on her front, she managed to see where she was landing and braced herself. She breached the water, the impact had her sinking a few meters deep. Getting her bearings straight, she swam upward toward the light, breaching the surface and taking in the air she lost.

She was in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight that she could swim to. She kept on swimming to keep herself afloat, but somehow the more she swam, the heavier her limbs were, as if the water were pulling her under. She was about to stop when a shadow loomed over her. Dahyun came and helped her climb onto the raft, chuckling all the while.

“Are you okay? Sorry about that, I was missing the ocean.”

Mina was still taking deep breaths, a bit relieved that she didn’t drown. But at the same time, she was curious, what would happen to her if she did drown? “It was a bit surprising but I’m fine.” She sat properly, leaning on her arms. She took in her surroundings; it really was an endless ocean with nothing else in sight.

“Doesn’t your boss come in and check you occasionally? You kept sleeping on the job,” Dahyun teased.

Mina laughed at the irony of it. “It’s a part of my job actually.”

Dahyun tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed. “You’re not a doctor, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

Dahyun hummed. Suddenly they were back at the cabin, sitting on the sofa across each other, her clothes dry as it was before. “I kind of have an inkling.” She leaned back on her chair and watched her intensely. “Who exactly are you then?”

“I’m a researcher from the SCP Foundation.”

“SCP Foundation?”

Mina nodded. “It’s a secret organization where we secure and contain anomalies in the name of protecting humanity.”

There was a brief pause for a couple of seconds where neither moved until Dahyun burst out laughing. “You’re pulling my leg.”

Mina blinked at the outburst. “I’m not?” She was confused.

“Oh, you’re serious.” Dahyun bit the tip of her finger. “I thought those kinds of things exist only in fiction.”

“You could basically create things with your mind, but you draw the line on secret organizations.”

Dahyun laughed into her hand and Mina joined along too, finally realizing how odd everything sounded like. If anyone on the outside were to hear it, they would have the same reaction as Dahyun. When the laughter died down, it became serious again.

“Why am I under your care then?”

“We found you.”

“Right I know that. But how did you know that I could do this? Surely I must’ve looked like another coma patient at the hospital.”

Mina wrung her hands together. “We didn’t find you at the hospital. We found you at your home, surrounded by huge structures. Presumably, you made them.”

Dahyun looked at her with an unreadable expression. “So that’s what happened,” she murmured. “I ate the sleeping med and found what I needed, but I didn’t know it did the other thing. Maybe because I couldn’t control it yet?”

“Found what?”

Dahyun had a ghost of a smile on her face. “You would know.”

Mina was puzzled, not quite understanding what Dahyun meant. “But I don’t?” She was being more ambiguous than usual.

Dahyun laughed at her confusion. “You will when the time comes.” She shifted in her seat to get comfortable. “So why do you keep on coming here?”

Mina stored that information in mind. “Because we needed to assess you. To see if you could be a potential threat to humanity.”

“But I don't really want to harm humanity?”

“It’s our standard procedure to assess anomalies. It doesn’t matter whether they’re threatening or not. If it’s sentient, we interview them.”

“Oh okay,” Dahyun trailed off. "So no matter how nice we are, we're still considered a threat?"

"That's just how it is."

Dahyun's expression turned somber as if she was sad that she was a threat.

Mina felt a sudden urge to comfort her, but then she felt that familiar pull in her stomach. “I’m waking up now.”

“I know.” Dahyun got up from her seat and walked toward her.

Mina got up too and was startled when the girl enveloped her in a hug. “Dahyun?”

“I hope you don't mind, but I needed a hug.” She pulled back, a soft smile on her lips.

She woke up to white ceilings, the warmth of the hug lingering on her even after she left the site.

After the revelation, Dahyun was more compliant with the questions, answering as truthful as she could, but still being her enigmatic self by dropping hints here and there that she couldn’t understand. And somehow most of the hints were related to her in a way, leaving her with more questions than answers. However, she kept that part of the conversation to herself, not really thinking that it was of any importance to what the Foundation wanted.

Jihyo had been pushing her to ask more questions, to be a bit more invasive, but she refused. She wanted to take her time with building the rapport between them. It wouldn’t do any good for them if Dahyun started to distance herself away if they pushed her too hard. So, she kept the conversation light, letting the girl take the lead and share whatever she was comfortable with.

\---

Three months had passed after the first contact with Dahyun and they had reached the stage where they were comfortable with each other to be talking about anything other than surface-level conversations. She was able to ask Dahyun more about her past and the girl was willing to share that bit of information with her.

Dahyun grew up in the tiny town where she was found, but somehow there was no information about her in the database. She herself didn’t know how that happened because she remembered the people living there. She created a replica of that town, giving a tour to Mina on her favorite spots to eat and which people she was friendly with.

“It’s odd,” Dahyun said wistfully.

“What is?”

“How much I remembered this place. Memories are always a finicky thing for me to replicate because I want to forget everything when I got here,” she explained. “But I guess when you love something so much, it stays with you no matter what.”

And in a way, it reminded her of that dream of hers. Her summer house by the beach. She left the dream feeling a sense of ache and longing. When was the last time she had a dream of her own? She was about to contemplate more when Nayeon came into the room.

“Dr. Park wants to speak to you,” Nayeon informed, her expression unreadable.

“Is there a reason why?”

Nayeon shook her head. “I don’t know, just go see her.”

Mina was puzzled at how tense Nayeon was. But she didn’t speak on it, opted to do it after she talked to Jihyo.

\---

“You wanted to see me?”

Jihyo was looking out the window, regarding her for a second. “Take a seat Myoui.”

Mina took a seat, nervous by the tone of her voice. “Is there a problem?”

“You’re not in trouble, don’t worry. Unless you did something that you’re not supposed to of course.” Jihyo took a seat across from her, hands clasped together on the table.

Mina furrowed her eyebrows. As far as she knew, there was nothing that she did that could warrant a problem. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“What is the nature of your relationship with 528?”

Mina was stunned, the question caught her completely off guard. “A researcher with its subject. Nothing more,” she answered monotonously.

“Not even friends?”

“I don’t understand where this line of questioning is going. But yes, we’re not friends.”

“Then why are you delaying everything and hiding information from us?”

Mina frowned deeply, irritated by the question. One thing she hated the most is people accusing her of not doing her work right. “I’m not delaying anything. 528 is not the kind of person that would disclose her information freely. Everything needed to be done as carefully as possible so we could gain her absolute trust,” she said tersely. “And I don’t understand what you mean by hiding information because I have been very transparent in the report.”

“She wouldn’t share her dream with anyone but you.”

“What?”

Jihyo stood, walking around the table to stand right in front of her. “That’s why I’m asking Mina. We’ve done an experiment without you, to see if 528 would be receptible with anyone else. Nayeon took your place and slept next to her. They didn’t connect,” she explained. Seeing that Mina was genuinely shocked, she softened herself, clasping her shoulder gently. “What is going on?”

“I d-don’t know,” Mina stuttered.

Jihyo sighed, trusting that the girl wasn’t lying. “Ask her this time.” She let go of her shoulder. “You’re not in trouble Mina. But I suggest you get to the bottom of this and please keep in mind, you can never be too careful.”

\---

Mina’s steps were heavy as she walked out of the office. What Jihyo said still ringing in her ears and it added to the list of questions she was trying to find the answer to. She saw Nayeon at the end of the hallway and stopped her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Nayeon was startled by her sudden question, but she recovered quickly. “You know I can’t disclose information especially when the higher-ups were telling me to keep it shut,” she hissed. “What is going on Mina?”

“I don’t know, Nayeon.”

“First time hearing _you_ said that. I thought 528 is nice.”

“She is,” she huffed. “I just didn’t know that I’m the only one she connects with.”

Nayeon finally loosens up, shoulders sagging in relief. “I don’t like whatever is happening right now.”

“Me neither, but I trust that she wouldn’t do anything dangerous,” Mina reassured her, as well as herself. She said goodbye to Nayeon and left the site, feeling like she needed a drink or two for herself.

\---

She woke up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore and seagulls circling the air. Snapping her eyes open she was greeted by the familiar cloudless sky and no sun in sight. She sat up, facing the vast ocean, horizon hidden behind heavy fog. How did she get here? When did she sleep? Sounds of footsteps against the sand broke her from her reverie.

“Dahyun.”

“Didn’t think you’d do it, but you did.” Dahyun looked around, taking in her surroundings.

Mina stood up, shakily walking toward the girl. She grabbed her by the arms, gripping it. “How are you here?”

“You pulled me in.”

She stumbled backward, confused. “I did this?”

“Seems so. Maybe you were thinking of me before you went to sleep,” Dahyun teased. “This place is,” she trailed off, looking at the foggy horizon, “bleak.”

“It has always been like this.”

Dahyun hummed in understanding. “So, you haven’t gone there yet.”

“Could you please just tell me what’s going on Dahyun? I don’t understand what’s happening here.”

“What’s that?” Dahyun ignored her question, pointing at the house.

Mina looked at the house, noticing how bad the condition compared to before, her parent’s shadows no longer lingering in the windows. Was it because she hadn’t been dreaming of this place in such a long time? “My old house.”

Dahyun walked toward it and she jogged after the girl. “You haven’t been here for a while huh?”

“How would you know that?”

“Judging from the state of the place.” She caressed the wooden railing up the steps. “And you’ve said something along the line about having insomnia.” She opened the door and head inside. “So, two and two together and whatnot.”

Mina followed from behind, frowning at how dreary the interior was. The stairs were crooked, walls deteriorating leaving huge holes behind and it was gloomier. Her young self was still sitting on the stairs, looking worse for wear with sunken eyes, watching them. “It’s worse now,” she murmured.

“Hello,” Dahyun greeted young Mina. When she didn’t greet back, she materialized a paper swan in her hand, gifting it to her. The swan danced gleefully on the palm of her hand, and it brought a smile to young Mina’s face.

Mina could feel her heart bloom. “I feel lighter.” She clutched her chest.

Dahyun smiled that enigmatic smile of hers. “We’re in what’s called a core. Anything that happens here affects you too.”

“Can this happen with anyone? This vivid dream.”

“Only for selected people and this isn’t exactly a dream per se.” Dahyun gave the swan and wandered further into the house.

“Then what exactly is this?” Mina followed along, stopping in the kitchen. Her mother’s back was to her at the sink, washing the never-ending plates.

“Call for her, greet your mom Mina.”

Mina gulped, anxiety spiking in her chest. When this happened, the house shook a little. “Mother?” She called timidly. When there was no answer, she was about to turn around until Dahyun gave her an encouraging nod. She took a deep breath and called out for her mother again. “Hello Mother, I’m home.”

The sound of washing stopped, and her mother turned her head to look at her. She was smiling, drying her hands on her apron. “Welcome back Minari, dinner is almost ready, I just need to finish with the dishes.” She turned back around, and the clacking of plates started again.

Mina felt overwhelmed, she hadn’t seen her mother’s face for so long. She knew what she had to do next, facing her father hiding behind his newspaper. “How was your day father?”

The newspaper turned once and her father put it down, giving her a gentle smile. “It’s been nice Minari. Did you have fun at the beach?” He asked and then continued reading his newspaper again.

Mina let out a shuddering breath, a million different emotions passing through her. She missed her parents dearly, that’s why she kept dreaming of them, but she couldn’t see them anymore, not after the accident that took them away from her.

She recalled it so vividly, to the point of dreaming about it whenever she slept. She remembered how she was in the car with them, how the car flipped over, how warm her blood was, and how they didn’t make it. She refused to sleep after that, not wanting to experience it again. But over the years her dream changed to the day before the accident, and it stayed this way for as long as she could remember. She was startled when the door to the basement opened.

Dahyun was the first to reach for it, offering her hand to Mina. “Let’s go.”

Mina hesitated for a second but took it, letting the girl guide her. “How do you know that I needed to do that?”

“Because it’s what you desired. You need to make peace first before you can reach the canvas. That’s what I went through too.”

The basement was dark, like a void of nothing. She didn’t know if there were floors anymore, but she could see the door at the end of the room. There were lights coming through the gaps, illuminating its shape.

She let go of Dahyun’s hand and walked toward it, reaching her hand into her pocket as usual for the keys but it’s not there. She reached for the knob, trying to turn it. Dahyun’s hand grabbed onto hers and a sense of Déjà vu washed over her. But instead of being yanked away, Dahyun held it to help her turn it and it did turn with a satisfying click.

The room on the other side was huge but empty. The walls and roof were painted white, making it feel as if there was no end to the room. It looked like an endless loop of nothing, waiting to be painted with something. Mina was in awe of everything. But then she recalled back to her conversation with Dahyun.

“The blank canvas,” Dahyun said wistfully walking further in as she scanned the whole room.

“Now will you tell me what’s going on?”

Dahyun nodded. “Imagine a place for us to sit.”

Mina furrowed her eyebrows. “I don’t know how.”

“Imagine a sofa or a coffee place that you frequent to.”

Mina closed her eyes, imagining the coffee shop that she went to every Sunday during her college year for their Americano. When she opened her eyes, they were there, sitting in the booth with an Americano on the table. She looked around, it wasn’t as perfect as she had remembered, but at the first glance, it did look like the place. “This is bizarre.”

“It would feel like that at first but the longer you’re in here creating, the better you’ll get at it.”

“Just like you.”

Dahyun nodded, smiling brightly. “You and I are the same.”

“What exactly are you—I mean us, I guess?”

Dahyun leaned back and widen her arms, creating tiny-clay-shaped people on the table. “We go by many names, architects, dream walker, creator, but I prefer architects because that’s how I can explain the things that I do.”

Mina furrowed her eyebrows, more confused than she was before. “What’s our purpose exactly?”

“Create to our heart's content, help to expand the library, and what else,” Dahyun scratched her chin, “just exist I guess.”

“Library?”

“The Wanderer’s Library. It’s the place where all architects are supposed to go to. It's like a safe haven for us.”

Mina frowned. The wanderer’s library was one of the key places on the Foundation’s search list. It was rumored to be another dimension where all known secret of the universe was stored. “How do you reach the library?”

“You need to unlock the 'canvas' in the core of your dream and only then you can find the entrance at the place where you’re strongly connected to in the real world.”

“In this case the beach house,” she murmured, sipping on the Americano. It tasted the same too. "So you can travel from this world to there whenever you want?"

Dahyun shook her head. "It's a one-way ticket. The moment the entrance closed, you can never go through there ever again."

"Why didn't you go there?"

"I was about to, but your people put me to sleep, so, I can't really go there can I?"

Mina smiled awkwardly. "Right."

Dahyun chortled. "I'm not angry, don't worry. I'm looking at it on the positive side."

"Which is?"

"I got to meet you."

Mina coughed into her hand, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. She changed the subject quickly, not wanting to linger on that. “Did you choose me to be an architect?” She asked, the title rolled off her tongue awkwardly.

“The library chose you,” Dahyun answered.

Mina was overwhelmed by the influx of information dumped on her. It felt like her world was turning slowly out of its axis with every new information. She let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding. “Why me?” She whispered, not realizing that she said it out loud.

“The criteria are somewhat vague, but they choose the ones that have experienced tragedy and dreamed about it. But I believe it all boils down to fate most probably because our path did cross,” Dahyun shrugged, a lopsided smile on her face.

Mina scoffed playfully. “You're such an awful flirt.”

There was a moment of stillness for a split second. Both trying to gather their thoughts. Mina had a question burning at the tip of her tongue. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because I didn’t know if you were one of us. When you entered my dream, I had my suspicion, but I didn’t want to jump onto it, letting you do what you needed to do and wait.”

“Every hint that you dropped makes a lot of sense now.” Mina ran her hand through her hair. “What the hell am I supposed to tell them,” she sighed heavily.

“You don’t have to at the moment,” Dahyun suggested mischievous glint in her eyes. “They don’t know that you’re here with me, so you can enjoy this for a bit and do whatever you like.”

“Jihyo is already suspicious of me for defending you the whole time. She might see through me if I lie."

“What is she suspicious of?”

Mina could feel her cheeks flushed up to her ears. “She suspected that I have a not so friendly relationship with you.”

“Oh.” Dahyun was blushing too, but then she chuckled. “Just because we sleep next to each other?” she said sarcastically.

Mina laughed into her hands. “Might be."

When the laughter died down, they sat in silence for a bit, observing each other. But in the end, Mina broke it, feeling shy at how keenly Dahyun was staring at her. “So, lie to them about my newfound ability and keep on seeing you until you cough up _real_ information.”

Dahyun shrugged. “Sounds like a good plan.”

Mina shook her head fondly. “That’s a terrible plan,” she teased. “But maybe I do want to explore for a bit before they take over.”

“Just for a bit.”

“Just for a bit,” Mina parroted the girl, conjuring a paper swan in the palm of her hand.

And it wasn’t just for a bit.

\---

Mina kept quiet about her rendezvous with Dahyun in her own dream. She came to work as usual and does her work normally, but Nayeon could see that she was glowing more so than usual. She deflected it, saying that the amount of sleep she was getting helped her.

She spun about how she still had a hard time going to sleep at night and asked Nayeon for a light dose of the concoction she made, and the girl readily agreed, wanting to help her get her sleeping schedule on track. She felt bad for lying, but technically it did help her with her sleeping schedule.

She told Jihyo that the reason why Dahyun only shared her dream with her was because she trusted her more than the other people that they sent. Jihyo accepted the reason, muttering about how finicky Dahyun was, and agreed to let Mina continue her visit. Despite that, she knew Jihyo was keeping an eye on her, but she ignored it, keeping low and did her task without a fuss.

On regular visits to Dahyun’s dream, instead of doing her usual routine, she spent her time learning the ropes. Apparently, architects could create inside another architect’s dream, making it a hundred times easier for them to do whatever they wanted to do. Dahyun taught her everything that she knew, from focusing on what she wanted to create to animating the thing she created. It was exhilarating to be able to do it and she always felt a surge of pride whenever Dahyun praised her for doing it right.

The teaching session helped them bond even more and the next thing she knew, she was smitten, and judging by the way Dahyun kept giving her flowers whenever she came told her the girl might feel the same too. They started to call their visit as dates, flirting with fleeting touches and little glances.

They danced around each other’s feelings, not wanting to overstep yet, until on Dahyun’s birthday they celebrated it by creating a theme park, kissing for the first time on the Ferris Wheel.

“I think I'm falling for you,” Mina whispered against her lips.

“I feel the same too,” Dahyun breathed out.

She woke up crying after that, heart aching because she wanted to stay with Dahyun just a little bit longer.

It went on for months to the point that the Foundation decided to have a meeting to reclassify 528 as a Safe class instead of a Euclid class. She shared an omitted version of her experience, lying through her teeth during her presentation and the people were none the wiser. They decided that after the reclassification, they were going to cease the visiting activities, but she didn’t mind it, already being able to do it on her own without the help of them.

Everything was falling into place, and she was beginning to feel like her life was shining a little bit brighter.

But Mina was never that lucky.

\---

The reclassification was done, and the report had been changed. Dahyun was now classified as a Safe class instead of Euclid, but she was bound to the bed for the rest of her life, not wanting to risk anything because they still don’t know what she is. Dahyun was okay with it, already used to living like this, and with Mina by her side, she was content.

They were in Mina’s dream, walking together hand in hand at the bottom of the ocean. Mina previously had watched a documentary about fish that lives in the Mariana Trench and she replicated it in the dream. It was a beautiful and fascinating sight watching the fishes swam around them.

“That one I think it’s called the Dumbo octopus,” Mina pointed at a floating squid with large fins.

“That’s an unfortunate name.”

Mina giggled covering her mouth but stopped and blushed when Dahyun kissed her on the cheek. “They named it after Dumbo because of the fins.”

“Oh, that makes so much sense.”

Mina laughed again, leading her toward a cliff edge where a picnic blanket was spread. They sat side by side, watching the marine life swam around, occasionally coming to them for snacks. Dahyun intertwined their hands together and sighed.

“What is it?” Mina asked, giving all her attention to the girl.

“I was wondering, what would it feel like to actually hold your hand,” Dahyun murmured.

Mina had noticed how these days Dahyun kept expressing these thoughts of her. She wanted the same too, but they know it would be somewhat impossible. She pulled Dahyun’s hand to her, sprinkling it with soft kisses laced with apologies.

Dahyun appreciated the gesture, holding her face and caressing it gently with her thumb. She smiled softly, showing her that she was okay.

Mina smiled back and was about to distract them when she felt that familiar pull on her stomach. But this time it was accompanied by the world shaking around them. Her body was disintegrating even faster and before she could say anything to Dahyun, she woke up with a frantic Nayeon shaking her awake.

“What the hell Nayeon,” Mina said, pushing the girl off her.

“You can’t get to say that to me, Mina. What the hell is that?” Nayeon pointed to a ship anchor perched at the end of her bed.

Mina was speechless, didn’t even remember if she materialized that in her dream. “I-I don’t know.”

“You’re still talking to her, aren’t you?” Nayeon accused her. She sat down in front of her, tightly holding her hands. “This isn’t a small matter Mina; it means you lied to the whole organization. Did _she_ manipulate you into whatever the hell this is?”

“No!” Mina pulled back her hands and get out of bed. “I don’t know how to explain this to you, but it’s not that. This is my own choice. I chose to do this, I—” she stopped talking, clutching her head in pain.

Nayeon sprung out of bed and held her up. “You know you can’t hide this from them. What if the next thing coming is a goddamn yacht in the middle of the court. She’s too dangerous—”

“I did that,” Mina cut her off.

“What?”

Mina pointed at the anchor. “I did that, not her. I was creating the Mariana Trench in my dream. That somehow got out of it.”

Nayeon blinked, shaking her head in disbelief. “Are you infected or something? What do you mean you did that?”

Mina cracked a small smile. “I told you it’s complicated.”

Nayeon let out a heavy sigh. “You know I can’t hide this for you,” she said remorsefully.

“I know Nayeon.” Mina hugged her one and only friend. “I’ll tell them myself.”

Nayeon hugged back and squeezed just as tight. “I’m right by you.”

\---

Mina turned herself in, waiting for Jihyo in a standard containment cell. It was a small cell furbished with a desk, chair, and a single bed. She was anxious and scared, but not for herself. She kept thinking of Dahyun, wondering if she was worried about her. Her heart ache at the thought.

The door suddenly opened and Jihyo came in. It locked with a resounding click and Mina gulped. Jihyo’s expression was pensive, but not angry and to her, that was a win. The director sat on the chair in front of her, looking at her expectantly.

“Mina, do you have anything to say?” Jihyo asked.

“Spare her.” The air was thick with tension as Jihyo’s gaze pierced through her, trying to see if she was bluffing. But she didn’t flinch, holding the stare.

“I could, if you tell me what’s going on,” Jihyo said slowly. “We’re not the bad guys here.”

“And you’re not good either, too rigid with rules that you forgot what sympathy is.”

Jihyo leaned back. “You’ve worked here for years; you should know that by now.” She shifted in her seat. “I’m not here to fight, I just want to have a chat with you, that’s all.”

Mina eased her shoulders, trying to appear relaxed but she was anything but. She thought she needed to fight for Dahyun or herself, but Jihyo seemed to be letting her guard down, a first time for her to witness. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her racing heart. When she saw that there was no judgment, she started talking from start to finish, being as transparent as possible.

She talked about what Dahyun is—what they are. She talked about the library, she talked about her relationship with Dahyun and what the girl meant to her. Jihyo never said a peep, listening intently and humming where’s appropriate. When she finished, she loosened the grip on the sheets, not realizing how hard she was holding it to the point her knuckles turned white.

“So, you’re the same as her,” Jihyo said matter-of-factly.

“Yes.”

Jihyo sat up straight, eyes darting away. “As much as I want to defend both of you, I can’t.” She stood up, making her way to the tray, pouring herself a glass of water. “If there’s a choice to pick—and let me tell you there will be—between you and her, you need to understand that I’ll pick you, Myoui. Because I don’t trust her as much as I trust you.” She took a sip, the sound somehow deafening in the quiet room. “She needs to stay under and to make it fair so that the O5 won’t say a word, I have to transfer you to another site, far from here—”

“Jihyo—”

“— _Dr. Park_ and this is the decision I’ve made. You’re an asset to the organization Myoui and I can’t lose you,” she said pointedly. “I'm willing to turn a blind eye on your ability, so you need to understand that I’m giving you a second chance here.”

“But not her,” Mina breathed out.

Jihyo took a second to answer, sympathy flashed through her face, but she turned stoic again. “No.”

Mina felt like she wanted to cry. How was it fair that she’ll still be awake but Dahyun had to stay in her dream forever? All the girl ever wanted was to be with her and reached the safe haven— a thought crossed her mind. “How about a trade,” she said, voice shaky but still firm.

“What do you mean?” Jihyo asked warily.

With tears in her eyes, Mina smiled.

\---

Dahyun was waiting by the shore, anxious and scared because Mina still hadn’t come back. She didn’t know how many days passed or if the same day had even passed. She prayed to whatever God out there for Mina to be safe and come back to her unscathed. Suddenly she felt a pull in her stomach, the feeling that she hadn’t felt for years.

Her world was beginning to shake, pieces of it shattering and falling into the ocean. She got up but fell back down when she realized that her legs were disintegrating. She was waking up and she felt relief washed over her. She closed her eyes, letting her body be taken as the world around her crashed and burn.

She woke up to white ceilings, crying in happiness at how mundane it looked. A shadow suddenly loomed over her and she recognized those moles and pretty eyes anywhere. “Mina,” she rasped out, throat dry because she hadn’t been using her voice. She reached out to touch her face.

Mina held onto her hand, crying at how warm Dahyun’s hand was. “Hello, Dahyun.” She turned for a second to get her water. Once she acquired it, she held Dahyun’s head up, helping her drink.

When she was finished, she looked around the place. Her eyes zeroed in at the observatory, but it looked deserted. “What happened?” She asked.

Mina smiled at her, starting to massage her aching limb. “I got caught.”

“Oh no.”

“But it’s okay. We’re okay.”

Dahyun was confused, wasn’t this the place that wouldn’t show people like her mercy? “They’re letting us go?”

Mina nodded, not looking at her, massaging her legs now. “We’re going to the library and live there together for the rest of our lives.”

Dahyun couldn’t help but cry, feeling so happy that her chest felt like it was about to burst. “When can we go?”

Mina stood by her side again, offering her hand. “Do you think you can stand?”

\---

When Dahyun stepped outside, feeling the real sun on her skin, she felt her whole body coming back to life. Even the wind in her hair as they sped down the highway gave her a burst of happiness that she didn’t know she needed. With Mina’s warm hand in hers, she felt like she was on top of the world. “We’re going to the beach house?”

Mina nodded, squeezing her hand. “It’s nearer than your place, but it’ll take some time to get there. Do you want to sleep first?” She teased.

Dahyun barked out a laugh, wiggling her finger. “I’m not sleeping tonight, nuh uh.”

Mina laughed her twinkling laugh and it made the butterflies in Dahyun’s stomach fluttered.

The journey took about 2 hours and throughout the way, Dahyun was in awe of everything. She especially loved it when they drove next to the beach, the water shimmering from the light of the sun. When they reached the house, they went it hand in hand, feeling giddy in every step. They head immediately toward the basement, not noticing the shadows following them.

The door was there, and they turned the knob together. When it opened, they were both in awe at the sight of the great wanderer’s library.

Infinite shelves spiraled through the space, filled to the brim with books of every knowledge. There were buildings too, shaped like houses and apartment complexes, no doubt the work of the architects.

“Go inside.” Mina pushed her in first and Dahyun couldn’t help giggle as she looked at everything in amazement.

Suddenly a voice came from behind them and a woman came down from the stairs, along with armed men pointing their guns at them.

“Mina—”

“It’s okay, Dahyun. Stay there.” Mina turned back to the woman. “Here it is.”

“A fair trade that’s for sure.” The woman observed the area. “Now step aside, we need to start the process of containing this place.”

Dahyun was shocked. Was this the reason they had let them go this easily? “Mina?” She called, feeling hurt and betrayed by the girl.

Mina turned to look at her, smiling as she cried. “You’re free now.”

Dahyun shook her head, anger flaring through her. “But at what cost? They’re going to ruin this place.”

“They won’t. I won’t let them," Mina said with determination.

And at that moment, Dahyun realized what Mina’s plan was. “Don’t,” she whispered.

Mina smiled that beautiful smile of hers. “Dahyun, I love you.” She closed the door.

Dahyun ran to the door, screaming as she banged on it, trying her hardest to push it open but she couldn’t. She slid down to the floor, crying as she pressed her forehead against it. “I’ll find you," she shuddered out, feeling hope burning in her chest.

\---

“You know that you’re going to take her place, right?” Jihyo said solemnly. “Both of you could be free together, but here you are throwing away the only chance that you have.”

“And risk the Foundation having the most powerful thing in the world in the palm of their hand? It’s worth it," Mina shrugged.

Jihyo finally cracked a smile.

\---

 **Item #:** SCP–529

 **Object Class:** Safe

 **Special Containment Procedures:** SCP–529 is to be kept in a standard humanoid containment cell with an observatory built adjacent to it at site-█. Hydration will be provided through IV drip and feeding will be provided through a feeding tube twice a day by medical personnel.

SCP-529 must be kept under heavy anesthesia by administrating a dose of pentobarbital/thiopental regimen three (3) times a month by level-2 medical personnel approved by site director Dr. Park. Researchers assigned to SCP-529 must report any abnormalities in the subject’s brain activity and if found, the subject must be administrated another dose of pentobarbital/thiopental regimen despite the period from the prior administration.

SCP-529 must never be awaken and any attempt to wake SCP-529 will result in an arrest by Foundation security and possible termination.

 **Description:** SCP–529 is Myoui Mina, personnel of the SCP Foundation. She was the researcher for the currently declassified SCP-528. SCP-529 has been in a coma for the last two (2) years in Foundation care since this report was last updated.

\---

Mina sat by the shore, watching the sunset slowly descending on the horizon. Even though she was the one that made the sun, she still liked to think that she was just any other normal human being, enjoying her time by the beach. She already lost track of time, but she couldn’t really care less. She was content because Dahyun is safe and that was all that matter to her.

She stretched herself, thinking about what world would she be building tomorrow?

Suddenly she could hear alarms blaring in the distance and an intercom voice in the sky.

_All personnel be advice we are experiencing a wide site containment breach. Available on-site guards are to report to the armory immediately. Other staff that is not experienced in combat are hereby ordered to shelter in place until further notice._

She felt that familiar pull at the pit of her stomach and she closed her eyes only to open facing the bright white ceiling. A shadow loomed over her.

"Dahyun?"

Dahyun smiled, caressing her face. "I found you."

**Author's Note:**

> If you've reached the end, thank you for reading. My twt @anothingqueer. Lemme know what you think :D


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